Heather Powers

Ms. Powers retired as the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), Inspector General (IG) with more than 21 years of service as a Special Agent.  As the NCIS IG, Ms. Powers served as the primary adviser to the Director of NCIS regarding the integrity, effectiveness, and efficiency of worldwide NCIS activities and personnel in 191 locations within 41 countries.  Prior to her assignment as the IG, Ms. Powers delivered impacting law enforcement and counterintelligence results in a series of undercover, supervisory, and senior leadership assignments.

As a Special Agent assigned to the Norfolk Field Office Ms. Powers initiated an operation into major narcotics distribution rings operating in and around the Portsmouth Naval Medical Center.  This operation resulted in numerous civilian and active duty personnel prosecutions and prompted the U.S. Department of Justice and Drug Enforcement Administration legal personnel to introduce emergency legislation in Congress outlawing the manufacturing, use, and distribution of these new substances, which were analogs to ecstasy and other hallucinogenic properties.

During her first Headquarters assignment, Ms. Powers served in the Counterterrorism Directorate and resulted in her promotion to Supervisory Special Agent.  In her first Supervisor Special Agent assignment within the Communications Directorate, Ms. Powers was responsible for oversight of all NCIS Communications operations including NCIS Marketing, Press, Pentagon and Legislative Affairs engagements. Upon concluding her Headquarter tour, Ms. Powers was assigned as the Supervisory Special Agent of the NCIS Resident Agency Quantico, Virginia, where she oversaw a myriad of high-profile investigations and was selected as the SSA of the Year for the Washington D.C. Field Office.  Ms. Powers was subsequently selected to NCIS middle management ranks and returned to Headquarters to serve as the Division Chief for NCIS Human Capital Development with a follow on assignment as the Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the Carolinas Field Office.

In 2013, Ms. Powers was promoted to Senior Manager and served in vital senior leadership roles at Headquarters and in the field including the Deputy Assistant Director for Investigations for the National Security Directorate and Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Special Projects.  As a result of her success in these positions, Ms. Powers was selected by the NCIS Director to be promoted to Assistant Director.  Ms. Powers served as the Assistant Director for the National Security Directorate with a follow on assignment as Assistant Director and Acting Executive Assistant Director for the Cyber Directorate.  In 2018, based on her extensive experience and knowledge of field and headquarters operations Ms. Powers was selected by the NCIS Director SA to serve as the NCIS Inspector General.